Cartridge feeder and orienter



April 22, 1947- J. H. wooDBERRY ETAL 2,419,242

CARTRIDGE FEEDER AND ORIENTER Filed Jan. 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CU for; 4436 pril 22, 1947. J. H. wooDaERRY Erm. 2,419,242

CARTRIDGE FEEDER AND ORIENTER Filed Jan. l, 1943 E Sheets-Sheet 2 :Jahn H Wcmdberry FredErEKWHnEwache-P Patented Apr. 22, 1.947

UNITED STES CARTRIDGE FEEDER AND ORIENTER John H. Woodberry and Frederick W. Hoewischer, Metuchen, N. J.

Application January 1, 1943, Serial No. 471,063

` (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928: 370 0. G. 757) 11 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon. 4

This invention relates to a cartridge feeding device, more particularly, to a device which will feed cartridges singly and oriented with their projectile ends pointed ahead, from a quantity of cartridges thrown promiscuously without regard to orientation in the receiving hopper of the device. In many cartridge handling machinesas, for example, machines which insert single cartridges in individual pockets of canvas or link beltsit is necessary to feed the cartridges singly with their projectile ends pointed forwardly, to the machine. The cartridge feeding device of this invention is designed to feed cartridges singly and oriented, from a massed or heaped quantity of unoriented cartridges, so that such cartridges may be conducted one at a time and properly oriented, to a cartridge handling machine for the desired subsequent operation. The object of this invention is to provide a cartridge feeding device of the character described which will be simple in construction, positive in action, and rapid in operation. For the attainment of this and such other objects as may herein appear or be pointed out, we have shown one embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a top view of one form of improved feeder-orientor. p

Fig. 2 is a section taken through the mechanism on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 4 illustrates the finger assembly.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a modied form.

Fig. 6 is a section through the mechanism on line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4 the cartridges are thrown into a hopper I0 which includes an inclined base plate I I and a vertical plate I2. Pivotally mounted on base plate I I at the rim of the hopper is a segregating plate I3 the function of which is to segregate the lowermost cartridge in the hopper, in a manner to be explained, and to agitate the contents of the hopper. Underlying the hopper and spaced a short distance below its base plate and to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, of vertical front plate I2 is a shaft 20 journaled in end bearings provided in vertical straps I5 depending from the side plates IB of the hopper. Secured on shaft 20 is a sectional cylindrical hub 2l which supports a pair of parallel plate members 22 spaced apart in planes normal to the shaft as best seen in Fig. 4. The plate members 22 are shaped to provide a plurality of fingers 26 which project beyond the periphery of hub 2l, in pairs aligned longitudinally of the hub, two pairs being shown in the 2 I drawings, equally spaced around the hub. The base plate II has formed therein a, pair of parallel slots IIc aligned with the plates 22, through which the nngers 26 pass with clearance. It should be noted that the width of the hopper is slightly more than the length of the cartridge and the plates 22 are spaced from the sides I4 of the hopper. somewhat more than the length of the exposed part of the projectile in the cartridge.

.The fingers 26 are shaped, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, to present a hump portion 26h. which, as the shaft is turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, contacts and raises the distal end of segregating plate I3 to the, position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. y The length of segregating plate I 3 is such that, when it is in lowermost position, resting by gravity on' base plate II, there is suicient distance between its distal edge and the vertical front plate I2 to permit passage of a cartridge, more particularly, the lowermost cartridge in the hopper. `But when the segregating plate I3 is slightly raised, as it is when contacted by a finger 26, as shown in Fig. 2, its distal edge approaches the vertical front plate I2, the space between the front plate I2 and the edge of plate I3 decreasing to an extent to-block olf passage below the plate I3 of all the other cartridges in the hopper. In this way, the lowermost cartridge ln the hopper, designated M in Fig. 2, is segregated from the others.

The forward portion of each finger 26 is provided with a recess 261' curved to partly encircle cartridge M as shown in Fig. 2. As shaft 2D continues to turn clockwise, the fingers 26 push lowermost cartridge M down inclined base plate II to the right in Fig. 2. The lower edge of vertical front plate I2 is spaced from base plate II slightly more than the cartridge base diameter, forming a mouth a. Mouth a. is normally closed by a gate I1 hinged at its upper end well above the radius of the movement of the fingers 26 at I'Ia on the plate I2 and provided with a spring Ils which urges the gate clockwise to closing position, as shown. Vertical front plate I2 and the gate I'I are provided with slots, respectively I2c and I'lc, through' which fingers 26 clear. As iingers 26 push cartridge M rightwardly, see Fig. 2,

the cartridge pushes gate Il in the same direction to open the same sufliciently to permit passage of the cartridge; whereupon the gate is shut, against the cartridges remaining in the hopper, by its spring Ils. The plate I3 will have dropped to its lowermost position at this time.

A single cartridge is thus extracted from the hopper and brought outside, to the right or in front of, the gate. This cartridge will still point in the same direction that it did as the lowermost cartridge (M) in the hopper. A pair of orienting stops or lugs IB are xed just outside gate I1 and at respective sides of the wide end or mouth of a funnel I8 leading down inclined base plate iI to a spout I3. These lugs are each spaced above the plate II sufficiently to permit passage thereunder of the nose of a bullet in a passing cartridge lying across the plate II, but this spacing from the plate II is much less than the diameter of the cartridge base. The result is that the cartridge, shown in Fig. 1, is engaged at its base by one of the lugs and momentarily stopped at th'e base while still being pushed mid-length by the nearer nger 26, and is thus angularly turned on its primer endto cause its projectile end to point ahead, this being the direction or orientation in which the single cartridges are fed down funnel i8 and out of spout I3.

In the modified form of Figs. -6 the hopper 30 is formed by aninclined base plate 3i having an Upper SlOPBd portion 3M. a short horizontal portion 3 Ib, a lower sloped portion or chute 3 is, a breast plate 33 and a front vertical plate 32. The breast plate 33 is bent as shown in Fig. 6 to form a hopper well 3liw into which the cartridges fall (down the incline of breast plate 33) and become stacked one above the other. Shaft 40 underlying the horizontal portion Sib of th'e base plate is journaled in bearings in vertical strips 35 depending from side hopper walls 34, and carries a drum 4I. Drum 4l is provided midlength with two broad lingers 46, diametrically opposite to each other. The horizontal ledge 3Ib and inclined parts of 3| are provided with elongated Aslots 3Ic to afford clearance for fingers 46 and lugs 49; also, the Vvertical portion of breast plateY 33 is providedwith aligned similar slots 33o.

The front plate 32 is provided near the bottom of hopper well 301.0 with a transversely elongated mouth opening 38 somewhat longer than cartridge length and provided at each end with a narrowed portion 3st. To the outside face of front plate 32 is a spring 31 formed of piano wire shaped in the form of an inverted-U, secured at its web portion, as by spot welding or otherwise, to the plate 32 and presenting both its distal ends in the path of cartridges fed through mouth slot 38.

As drum 4i is turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, a nger 46 contacts the lowermost cartridge in hopper well 3iiw, cartridge M, to turn the cartridge about one end as a pivot. As clearly seen in Fig. 5, the primer end of cartridge M is behind the righ't narrowed portion 38t of opening 38, and is of larger diameter than the clearance of the opening at this point. It will also be noted from Fig. 5 that the finger 46 contacts the cartridge at a point substantially at its center. The finger 46 therefore turns cartridge M about a pivot point at one of narrowed ends 38t of opening 38. Both ends of the spring 31 yield to the cartridge, the one farthest from the cartridge base being displaced the most. As the cartridge is turned by the finger 46, its swinging part soon passes under and clears the adjacent arm of spring 31. Th'e other end of the spring 31, which was less displaced by the cartridge', now tends to return to initial position, swinging the base of the cartridge inward from the mouth and operating as a. fulcrum upon which the cartridge now rotates its base toward the medial vertical plane of the hopper and chute 3Is opening, as a result of the moment created by the nger 46 and spring arm nearest the base of the cartridge. The cartridge ultimately slides longitudinally nose rst down the chute 3 is. In this manner the primer end of the cartridge passes through the wider part of the opening 38 with ample clearance. Two units are shown in Fig. 5, the lowermost cartridge in the left unit being designated M and the lowermost cartridge in the right unit being designated M'. Cartridge M is oriented with its projectile end pointing to the left while the projectile end of cartridge M' points to the right. Hence cartridge M will be turned on a point in the right narrowed portion of the opening. while cartridge M' will be turned on a point in the left narrowed portion. In both cases, the projectile end of a cartridge being forced through the opening 33 will be pointed ahead. this being the direction in which the cartridges are fed out of the hopper down chute 3Is.

As best seen in Fig. 6, there may be provided on drum 4I spaced between each end of the drum 4I and th'e plane in which the fingers 46 are located, and secured on the drum, lugs 49 which serve when they pass through the respective slots 3io in horizontal base plate 3Ib. to periodically raise the heap of cartridges in weil 3010 to ensure that they are properly stacked in the well.

It will be appreciated that with the plate I3 in repose in the hopper of Fig. 2, the cartridges will settle with one immediately before the mouth of the hopper and against the gate I1, and that the rounded points of the hooked fingers 26 will push forwar ,ly and under all cartridges adjacent and except the one, thus providing agitation of the hopper content as well as ejecting the single cartridge. The plate i 3 serves as a guard to prevent denting of th'e cartridge walls by the fingers as well as supporting all except the cartridges next to the plate i2 on a surface which slopes at all times toward the front. The lower end edge of the plate I3 moves in an arc which intersects the lefthand lower circumferential surface of the second cartridge from the plate ii at an angle great enough to obviate any possibility of gouging or jamming of the second cartridge between the front plate I2 and the swinging end of the plate i3. l

It should be considered that it is not essential that the plates I2 or 32 be vertical for the functioning of the invention, and they may be inclined inward or outward at their upper parts although there should be a substantial vertical component in the plane of each of these plates.

We claim:

l. A device for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combination, an inclined base plate and a vertical plate defining a hopper between them, a plate resting on the said base plate of the hopper and pivoted near the rim thereof, the length of the said pivoted plate being such as to provide when in lowermost position clearance between its distal edge and the said vertical hopper plate for the width of a single cartridge but less than said width when raised the diameter of one cartridge, a shaft revolubly mounted below the said hopper, a pair of ejectors mounted on the said shaft, the said hopper base plate having slots for the ejectors, the ejectors being arranged so as to contact the said lingers with the underside of the said pivoted plate to raise the plate a sufcient extent to decrease the distance between its distal edge and the said vertical hopper wall to block off passage of all cartridges resting on the of the said vertical hopper plate and spring pressed to closing position at the opening, the said ejectors being adapted on further rotation thereof to contact the said lowermost cartridge and to push the said cartridge past the said hinged plate and onto the said inclined base plate outside the hopper, ,a pair of side strips on the said inclined base defining a funnel chute with its widest part at the said elongated hopper opening, and a pair of stop lugs one on each'of the said side strips near the said hopper slot. the said lugs being arranged and adapted to be contacted by the primer end of a cartridge, but spaced above the level of the nose of a passing cartridge, Whereby the `cartridges are angularly turned to point their projectile ends ahead.

2. A device for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combination, an inclined base plate and a vertical plate defining a hopper between them, a shaft disposed below the said hopper. a pair of planiform parallel plate members mounted on the said shaft and shaped to provide a plurality of fingers, the said hopper base plate being provided with slots for the said fingers, the said vertical hopper wall being provided at the said inclined hopper base plate with an elongated opening, a hinged plate mounted on the outside of the said vertical hopper plate and spring pressed to closing position, the said shaped plates being adapted on rotation of the said shaft to contact the lowermost cartridge inthe hopper and to push the said cartridge past the said hinged plate and onto the said inclined base plate outside the hopper, the said vertical front plate and the said hinge plate being slotted for the said fingers', a pair of side strips on the said inclined base defining a funnel chute with its widest part at the said elongated hopper opening, and a pair of stop lugs one on each of the said side strips near the said hopper opening, the said stops being shaped, arranged and adapted to be -contacted by the cartridge base wherebyr the cartridges are angularly turned to point their projectile vend ahead. i

3. Adevice for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combination, an inclined base plate and a vertical plate defining a hopper between th'em, a shaft disposed below the said hopper, a centraliylocated finger mounted on the said shaft, lthe said hopperbase plate being p rovided with a slot" for the said nger, the saidk vertical hoppen wall being provided at the said inclined hopper base plate with an elongated opening of a width commensurate with that of the cartridge, the ends of the opening being narrowed, the distance between opposed sides of the opening at each end being smaller than th'e cartridge base diameter, a pair of spring wires spaced longitudinally of said opening and spaced from the ends of the opening secured on the outside of the said vertical hopper plate having=free ends extendingbefore the opening, the said finger beingI adapted on rotation of the shaft to contact said lowermost cartridge and to push the said cartridge past either of the said spring wires and v onizctl'ie said inclined basaplate outside the hop- 1 per; the said cartridge first turned on an axis through its base in the adjacent narrow part of said opening, whereby both springs yield initially to the cartridge, the one distant from the base yielding to clearing relation with the cartridge but the other remaining engaged with the cartridge as a fulcrum and the finger then turning the cartridge on the last named spring and propelling it'endwise through the chute.

4. A device for feeding land orienting conventional cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combina-v tion, an inclined -base plate anda vertical plate dening a hopper between them, a. well in the said hopper holding a single stack of cartridges, a shaft disposed below the said hopper, an ejector finger mounted on the said shaft, the said hopper base plate being provided with a slot for the said finger, the said hopper being provided at the said inclined hopper base plate with an elongated opening of a width commensurate with that of the cartridge, the ends being narrowed, the'distance between opposed sides of the opening at each end being less than the cartridge base diameter, the said finger being adapted on rotation of the shaft to contact said lowermost cartridge and to push the said cartridge onto the said inclined base plate outside the hopper, whereby the said cartridge is turned on an axis adjacent its base in the narrow part of one end of said opening, and the projectile end of the said cartridge pointed ahead.

5. A device for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combination, a front plate, an inclined plate forming a hopper with the said front plate and an inclined vchute exterior of the hopper, the said chute being funneled with its wide mouth at the said hopper, the said hopper being formed with anv elongated opening for egress of single cartridges, means for feeding single cartridges through the said opening, the width' of the said opening being commensurate with that of the cartridge and its ends being narrowed, the distance between opposed-sides of the opening at each end being less than the diameter of the cartridge base, whereby the ejected cartridge is turned on anaxis adjacent its base in the opening at one end, and the projectile end of the said cartridge pointed ahead.

6. A device for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combination, a hopper provided with an elongated opening for egress of single,y cartridges, means for feeding single cartridges through the said opening, the width of the said opening being commensurate with that of the cartridge, the ends being formed with narrowed end portions at each corner, the distance between opposed narrowed portions at each end being smaller than the widest cartridge diameter, but shaped and proportioned to permit a projectile nose topass therebetween, whereby the said cartridge will be turned on an axis through its primer or widest cartridge diameter between the said pair of opposed narrowed'portions at one end, and the projectile end of thesaid cartridge pointed ahead.

7. In an orienting device for identical elongated articles having opposite large and small ends, a hopper havinga discharge mouth of a width equal to the individual length of the articles and inmounted on an axis in such relation to said mouth that the ejector moves through the hopper and mouth Ain a path to which the path of articles translated through the mouth' on said plate is approximately tangent at the mouth so as to engage the lowermost article in the hopper and translate the same through said mouth, and means including cam-like members carried by the shaft positionedto move likewise through the hopper and said mouth to raise articles in the hopper other than such as may be engaged by the ejector, said plates being slotted for clear movement of the ejector and cam-like means through the hopper, means yieldable to articles propelled by said ejector to retain articles from egress otherwise at said mouth and means operatively associated with the ejector to retard the large end of an ejected article.

8. The structure of claim 7 for cased ammunition wherein two Said electors are mounted on the shaft, spaced longitudinally of the shaft a distanceequal to a substantial part of the length of the case and spaced from the sides of the hopper more than the length of the exposed part of the projectile, and wherein said yieldable means constitutes a gate means on the hopper having an edge extending into the path of ejected cartridges close to the mouth of the hopper parallel to the support plate and movable in said parallel relation by an engaged cartridge to an open position, and said retarding means constitutes a stop device spaced longitudinally in the chute from the gate constructed to selectively engage the cartridge base while the cartridge is being propelled by the electors whereby its rotative and translative motion will be accelerated.

9. In an article orienting device the combination of a hopper for articles with distinctive ends said hopper having a mouth shaped to pass transversely laid articles irrespective of orientation, ejector means to engage the lowermost article in the hopper intermediate of its length, a positive stop adjacent each side of the mouth to selectively engage predetermined distinctive ends of articles, a yielding detent spaced inwardly of each positive stop constructed to yield to ejected articles in a direction to clear an engaged article after predetermined swinging movement of the article around one stop, and a chute constructed to hold the articles for endwise movement therein, and having a wide mouth to receive an article transversely disposed and rotating in a plane with its axis.

10; In a device for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, a hopper comprising a front plate and a back plate converging downwardly and a bottom Support for cartridges between the two plates extending forwardly from the hopper, said front plate having a mouth opening thereon immediately over said bottom support and transversely elongated to afford a width commensurate with the length of the cartridge, the ends of said opening being narrowed, the distance between upper and lower edges of the narrow parts at each end being less, than the diameter of the larger cartridge end, a pair of spring wires secured on the outside of the Said front plate above said mouth having free ends inwardly of the narrowed ends of the mouth blocking passage of the lowermost cartridge from 8 said mouth, a finger revolubly mounted below the hopper movable through the bottom of the hopper spaced from said wires, to contact the lowermost cartridge and to push said cartridge past the spring wires on to the said forward part of said bottom support outside the hopper. whereby the base of said cartridge is initially engaged and retarded by one narrowed end of the opening and the cartridge initially turned on an axis transverse to its longitudinal axis at its base and the projectile end of the cartridge swung forwardly so that one of said wires is cleared and whereby the second wire will then press the base of the cartridge rearwardly and to an intermediate position in said mouth opening.

11. A device for feeding and orienting cartridges with their projectile ends pointed in a predetermined direction, in combination, an 'inclined base plate and an upstanding plate convergent downwardly toward the base plate dening a hopper having a transversely elongated mouth opening between them, a plate resting on the 'said base plate of the hopper initially and pivoted near the rim thereof, the length of the said pivoted plate being such as to provide clearance between its distal edge and the second named plate for the width of a single cartridge, a shaft disposed below the said hopper, a pair of transversely aligned ejector fingers mounted on the said shaft, the said base plate being provided with slots for the said fingers, the said fingers ed on rotation thereof to contact the said recess portion of `its fingers with the said lowermost cartridge and to push the said cartridge past the said gate, the said upstanding plate and the said gate being slotted for clearance of the said fingers, means defining a funnel Chute with its Widest part at the said mouth opening, and a pair of stop, lugs one on each side of the said chute near the said mouth opening, the said stops being adapted to be contacted by one distinctive cartridge end but arranged and shaped to clear the other end' whereby the cartridges are angularly turned to point the unengaged end ahead.

JOHN H. WOODBERRY, FREDERICK W. HOEWISCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 458,557 Bennett et al Sept. 1, 1891 528,095 Hisey Oct. 23, 1894 774,378 Carter Nov. 8, 1904 1,408,497 Bragdon Mar. 7, 1922 2,170,567 Meier Aug. 22, 1939 2,326,816 Woodberry Aug. 17, 1943 

